In June 2000 at the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Beijing+5, governments unanimously agreed to assess the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action in 2005. While a world conference has not been planned for 2005, the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) has undertaken a technical assessment of the progress made in the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action during its March 2005 session.

The creation of an enabling environment for the substantiation of women’s rights, along the lines specified in the Beijing Platform for Action, requires serious and sustained policy reforms, as well as an understanding of the forces and factors that constrain positive action. UNRISD prepared a research-based report, launched at the March 2005 session of the CSW in New York, in order to shed light on some of the critical policy issues highlighted in the Beijing Platform for Action. This report provides a useful complement to the formal review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action that the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) is undertaking.

Background Papers
For the preparation of the report, the Institute commissioned over 60 background papers, involving over 70 researchers from diverse regions. United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) has now began posting the commissioned background papers on its Web site.

Meetings
The launch of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) report took place on 7-8 March 2005 in New York. A series of international and regional dissemination conferences are also being planned for 2005 and 2006.

Advisory Group
To ensure the quality of its work, United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) convened an Advisory Group composed of nine distinguished scholars.

Funding
This activity is being funded by the European Union, the government of Sweden (Sida/SAREC), the International Development Research Center (IDRC, Ottawa, Canada) and the government of the Netherlands.

For more information
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